Self-disengaging lift hook



Oct. 13, 1953 A. J. BYRON 2,655,400

SELF-DISENGAGING LIFT HOOK Filed Oct. 31, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l m/THONYJ Ema/v,

Oct. 13, 1953 BYRON 2,655,400

SELF-.DISENGAGING LIFT HOOK Filed Oct. 31 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 h wenim": 4N THO/VVJ Bree/v,

w wz 4% Patented Oct. 13, 1953 "assent sELmnIsanGaGmGjmmtmu fe 't w B m mafra'. nr c tien mtiflver 31, iomisei-lai m zgm (cream) -fifclaims. .1 "The: present invention relates itmaipparatus for --hmdling heavyflatiplates ior the-like: andlmo're siparticularly tor-iself-disengag'ing 'lift hooks. :Prior to mycrinvention;zappamatuse-forqhandling m'aterial'rsuch='as heavylrstee'l platesvor fslabs con sisted of a pair of U-shaped hooks whichiwere supported at their upper :ends *bwasoommon dhain "carried byta crane hook. Thelegiportionssbf ithe hooks were-provided :with-ia foot element integrail with the bottomswtherwf WhiCh SI'IPDOItBd' the sides of :the 1.plates or slabs :being. handled.

Mter the Ematerial ibeing handled was carried' -to l ate-destination, such asian open topmraitway oar or-toFa -astorage area, 'dihe checks were disengaged from the material ibyvloweri-ng the; craneziho'okaso .15

"that the -topsaof the filifting hoo'ks rtilted toward each other -and-thereby;releasedthetfeetgportions 1 from underneath the @036. The hooks-were-then raised andumoved away. '1 o"remove theclifting shocks normally irequired clearance :of at :least :the =length :of -=the supporting tfeetonv-eitlierlside --of l-the -.flat :matenial beingvhandled. twI'f this clearance was not .available, -itlwasfnecessaryato -remove-the,-Jhooksby prying i! sledging. This practice required considerablemalisefiort and was at best quite hazardous. The prying or the sledgmg-falso frequently. caused damage to the hooks, the load being carried or the mill structure adjacent the storage area, or the wall of the gondola ear if the material was "beingloaded for shipment.

It is accordingly "an *objectof myinvention to provide lifting hooks for -flat materials having i incorporated therein-r-eleasin mechafiitim' wliich imaylbesetlito automatically release the load afiter it has been lowered at its destination.

It is another object of my invention to provide a lifting hook which can disengage itself from a load of flat material in a limited clearance area with a minimum of manual manipulation.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a pair of hooks of my invention in use;

Figure 2 is a front elevation;

Figure 3 is a side elevation;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the,

line V-V of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings. reference numeral 2 indicates an inverted U- shaped hook member having an eye 4 formed in the upper portion thereof for engaging a lifting .52 cha'mt w'hich'imay :be attached, by means of a -'1'img" 8.,E$0 '8, crane ihook not shown. The two paralleldegs wl o'of the U-shapecl member are each .zprovided "with --a foot portion lt-2 :integral wvithvthe bottom thereof and extending normally --t0 the nroad or1 face'portion -l hof lthe leg-"l0. 1A dOg i member cl 6 is ipivota'llyr-mounted, 1 by means ofaafapin t8, adjacent the rinner surface :of each *of 'iithe xfootnportions -I-2. The dogs 46 extend rearwardly fmm -therpivotal' connectionwiththe qflnfiLaJtQ l 62. point rearward 0f the legs will. A shezft i240, having its" :encls :rotatably fitted in the rearward tpeirtions iof the :wdogs, aconnects them 'togetherrforisimultaneous movement.

A rod member 26 is attachediito 'andspnotects upwardly from the collar 24 to fit slidingly in a sleeve 28 which surrounds 1 substantially the entire-length of thememberflfi. 'bottomiof the -irod 626 is damned r in the \shapeof eye 24 whichwis loosely-fitted around the shaft-2 0. f-Dhe bottom of--thesleeve 2Bhas:a collar 31] thereonin which is formed at least "one bayonet-type slot $2. :A -pin 34 -projeots laterally from; the bottom -of= the -10dn2 6 rtor engagement .with the "slot -32. m :IOQIQEI shait .186 -=extends -:between :the :middle irpontions of -the alegs NJ and is; provided with a centralinning v38 for slidingly accommodating -'the-sleeve1-28.

aa handle 40 isa'attached to the upper end or the asleeve 28 :and extends l-normal thereto. eye

.42 is disposed "above the handle 40. ,The i base 44 -.of the -eye fits between the handle-MI and :an

enlarged head-Jenn thewend of the-rod 2'6.

, -A chain48, ;-see:Figures 2wa-nd-3,- is'attached to the eye=42 extends itherefrom to an attachment with an upper link of the lifting chain 6.

A stop pin 50 is attached to and projects from the inner lateral surface of each of the foot portions I2 to engage recessed slots 52, located in the bottom face portion of each dog l6 for limiting the downward movement of the dogs.

In their lowermost position the upper bearing surfaces or faces 54 of the feet and the uppermost faces 56 of the dogs, lie in the same plane.

Thus, any load carried by the hook is carried by both the feet and the dogs.

In operation, two of the above described lifting hooks are supported from a crane, not shown, in spaced opposed relation as shown in Figure 1.

The lifting hooks 2 are lowered adjacent each side of a plate W which it is desired to move from one location to another. The lift hooks are guided into position so that the feet portions 12 engage the plate under its two sides. The lifting 55 hooks are then raised and the load is transported turned so that the bayonet slot 32 engages the pin 34. Then when the chain 6 is lifted slightly it rotates the opposed dogs IE on each lifting hook simultaneously, through the chain 48 and shaft 20, causing the plate W, which heretofore was resting on the feet I2, to be transferred to the upper faces 56 of the dogs l6. Continued lifting of the shaft 2!! rotates the dogs 16 further so that the load is continually being shoved off I the upper faces of the dogs l6 and at the same time the dogs and the feet I2 are being gradually and positively retracted from under the plate. Thus it is possible to easily and quickly remove the supporting hooks or feet 12 from beneath the load in a confined space without sledging or prying or endangering the l fe of any workmen.

Once the hooks are removed from the load, handle 40 is turned to disengage the slot 3 2 from the pin 34 to prepare the lifting hooks to receive another load. If desired, more than one slot 32 and a corresponding number of pins 34 may be provided so as to insure positive engagement of the sleeve with the rod 26.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described it will .be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the;scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for handling fiat plates or the like having a pair of lifting hooks each supported at its upper end by a flexible member, each lifting hook comprising a U-shape member having an eye in the upper portion thereof and two-"legs in spaced parallel relation, a foot portion integral with the bottom of each of said leg and extending normal thereto for supporting one edge of said flat plate, a dog pivotally mounted at one end adjacent the inner side of each of said foot portions, each of said dogs extending from said pivoted end to a point rearward of said legs, a rotatable shaft connecting the rearward portions of said dogs with its ends fitted therein, a collar mounted for rotational movement on said shaft intermediate its ends,- a vertical pin element attached to said collar and extending upwardly therefrom, and means for lifting said pin to rotate said dogs to i thereby disengage said hook from contact with the plate.

2. Apparatus for handling fiat plates or the like as defined in claim 1 characterized by said pin lifting means including a stop pin projecting I laterally'from the bottom portion of said vertical are raised and the stop pin is engaged by said bayonet slot.

3. Apparatus for handling flat plates or the i like as defined in claim 2 characterized by a brace member attached to and extending between said legs spaced above said shaft, said brace member having an opening .therethrough intermediate its ends for slidingly accommodating said sleeve, and stop means projecting inwardly from each of said foot portion for limiting the movement of said dogs.

4. Apparatus for handlingflat plates or the like having a pair of lifting hooks each supported at its upper end by a flexible member, each lifting hook comprising a U-shape member having an eye in the upper portion thereof and two legs in spaced parallel relation, a foot portion integral with the bottom of each of said legs and extending normal thereto for supporting one edge of said flat plate, a dog pivotally mounted at one end adjacent the inner side of each of said foot portions, each of said dogs extending from said pivoted end to a point rearward of said legs, a

rotatable shaft connecting the rearward portions of said dogs with its ends fitted therein, a vertical pin element pivotally mounted by one end to the intermediate portion of said shaft and extending upwardly therefrom, and means for lifting said pin to rotate said dogs and thereby disengage said hook from contact with the plate.

ANTHONY J. BYRON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,158,392 Schutte Oct. 26, 1915 1,212,984 Mazoch et al Jan. 16, 1917 

